


Trek

by Levellsof



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe, Culture Shock, F/F, Not so Scientific Expedition
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:10:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26410114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Levellsof/pseuds/Levellsof
Summary: “It’s a risk.” He said weakly.“A calculated one. One worth taking.”Asami travels to the South to make contact with the isolated culture that lives there. It's a one year expedition no one really expects her to return from. Inspired by Jennawynns awesome story, "Fieldwork." This is not at all scientific or accurate. I hate research.
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato
Comments: 17
Kudos: 87





	1. Setting off

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Fieldwork](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4735304) by [Jennawynn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jennawynn/pseuds/Jennawynn). 



Chapter 1

“Absolutely not.”

“Just hear me out.”

“I said no, Asami.” Hiroshi Sato ground out. Stalking down the hall to his study in an attempt to head off any further argument. 

“But this is  _ unprecedented _ -” His daughter said breathlessly, falling in step beside him. Her words poured out with rushed excitement as their pace quickened.

“-the chance to gain some  _ real insight _ into an isolated culture. Professor Raiko said that-”

Hiroshi scoffed but Asami plowed on. 

“ _ He said  _ the Kikakdo have managed to stay untouched by modern industrialism, it is so removed that we don’t have any accurate depictions of their lifestyle and they rarely initiate contact with outsiders-” She gushed as they entered Hiroshi's home office. A large but functional space with a grand window overlooking the blooming gardens of his vast property. The last hours of sunlight beamed across an impressive wooden desk, illuminating the blueprints, spreadsheets and various plans scattered across its surface. He made a beeline for it, collapsing in his chair while his daughter shut the door behind them, still rattling on. Her eyes bright with excitement.

“-they are the last group that hasn't been impacted by globalization and now we may have a real opportunity to see first hand how they live! It’s  _ never _ been properly documented before and-”

“And why is that, Asami?” He snapped, temper flaring. “Why is it,  _ exactly, _ that there is no record?” He saw her confidence falter slightly, the flash of a sheepish smile making his eye twitch.

“W-well- I mean.. Its disputed by different sources..” She stuttered. 

“Because no one who has set foot in that cursed land has ever come back alive.” He hissed.

“That's only a story.” She shot back, voice calm even though her eyes flashed with familiar fire. “We don’t know what's happened to them.”

“You know what they say, Asami! That those-those  _ people  _ attack and eat any outsiders that dare to stumble across them.” His face was red and sweaty as he gained more steam. “That they drag bodies from the ships that run aground and feast off their frozen corpses for weeks-” She made a noise of disbelief but he plowed on. “-They sleep with their animals and leave unwanted children and elderly out in the snow to freeze when food is scarce. They are savages, Asami. I won’t have you consorting with them.” 

“It’s not consorting, its _ learning _ .” 

“It’s _ dangerous _ -” He pinched his brow. “-an idiotic venture that you will take no part in.”

“Just listen for a minute-”

“No! I won’t let you go gallivanting off alone into some violent frozen wasteland to die. ”

“But Dad-”

“ENOUGH!” He roared, pounding his fist on the desk with such force that the pictures rattled in their frames. Asami flinched, and he felt his rage trickle away. 

“I’m sorry,” he sighed, rubbing his eyes, “I know you feel this is important...But I won’t lose you too…” 

Silence stretched between them as Hiroshi lent back in his chair. The sun was almost set now, golden rays stretched further across his desk until they hit a framed photo on the corner. He stubbornly focused on the pounding in his head and the way his hands trembled with anger and worry. When he finally looked up, he saw it clutched in his daughters hands, her face ashen. 

“It  _ is  _ important Dad. It’s the chance I’ve been waiting for. I can’t just let it pass.” Her eyes welled up. “She would have said I could go.” Asami said quietly, green eyes (so like her Mothers) flashing up to meet his gaze. “She would have believed in me…” 

The air rushed out of his lungs like someone had smacked him in the chest with a mallet. He met her watery gaze, floored by the look of steely determination in it. She walked slowly around the desk and placed it in his hands. It was an old photo, not long before that terrible night. Hiroshi had his arm wrapped tightly around his smiling wife, a young Asami perched jovially on her lap, caught in the middle of a giggling fit.  _ Spirits, we look young _ he mused.

“.. you know she would’ve.” Asami all but whispered. They stood together, gazing at the photo for a long time, until the sun was nothing but a fading orange line on the horizon. 

“I don’t want to lose you too,” Hiroshi reiterated, voice thick with suppressed tears. His daughter grabbed his hand, making him look her in the eye.

“This is important, Dad.” She said in a hush, squeezing hard, “I need to do this. I  _ have _ to know. This is my chance.”

“It’s a risk.” He said weakly.

“A calculated one. One worth taking.” She rushed, voice strong, edging on hope. 

Hiroshi looked back down at his smiling wife. Her face was wrinkled with joy, pride in her eyes as she gazed down at their daughter. He sighed, a small smile playing across his face as he conceded defeat.

“You  _ will _ be taking every precaution-” But Asami cut him off, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him fiercely. 

“ _ Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!” _

Hiroshi laughed as he hugged her back, but couldn’t help the ominous feeling in his stomach.  _ This is a terrible idea. _

\----

“This was a  _ terrible  _ idea.” Asami moaned as she expelled her breakfast overboard for the second time that day. Third week at sea and despite the crew's insistence that her stomach would settle it stubbornly refused too. She noticed they all had to work harder to keep their lips from twitching when she bolted to the ship's nearest side after meals. Groaning, Asami dragged her mouth across her sleeve and pressed her forehead to the cold metal of the railing. 

A sharp cackle broke the air. Asami slid her gaze to glare at the gleeful cabin boy perched on the crate beside her. 

“You’ll find you sealegs, Miss Sato,” He promised, green eyes brimming with mirth, “sooner or later.” 

“Uh huh”, She muttered, turning her head back into her folded arms, “I’m sure.”

“Want some Boar-Q-Pine jerky?”

“No, Kai,” She spat into dark waters churning below, “Thanks.”

The twelve year old took a big bite to hide his grin. 

“Wuell Id duhshent maderr aeynee weh” He spewed as he talked around his mouthful, waving one hand towards the water dismissively, “Wei shuld be dere pretty shuon.” He swallowed, and looked out over the ship, “another few days.”

“Good.” she replied, raising her head to stare across water. Deep dark blue, darted with giant hunks of ice far as the eye could see. Three times the size of Satobiles, and coated with fat white snowflakes that had been drifting down for the last week of their journey. The Southern Sea was astonishingly beautiful, But-

“I think I prefer airships.” Asami stated, wiping sweaty bangs from her face and straightening with all the grace she could muster. She gathered it wasn’t much by smirk on Kai’s face, and by the way he innocently asked if she was  _ sure _ she didn’t want some?

“Swiped it from Two-Toe ping,” He boasted while she turned slightly green, “and _he_ got it in Omashu last time he was there.” She eyed him with disapproval but couldn’t completely hide the smile creeping over her lips.

“Would you listen if I said stealing was wrong?” 

“Probably not.”

Kai had quickly become her companion over the course of the journey. He was a clever boy with a mop of shaggy black hair, bright green eyes, and hands that hardly stopped moving, (Whether it be practicing knots or slipping into pockets). She had liked him right away. Preferring his company by far to the other crewmen, partially because he was closest to her in age, and partially because he was the only one who didn’t look at her like a dead woman walking. Others eyed her with unease, or worse, total dismay. Kai however, regarded the whole thing as one big adventure.

“Everyone knows the South Sea is haunted” He told her happily her first day aboard the  _ Flying Boar _ , lugging her trunk together to her cabin. The crew hired by her father bustling around in preparation for their long journey, “Or at least- that's what they say. But I _ do _ know that ships disappear all the time around there, Arik said he heard of 4 that gone-” He panted as they heaved her trunk down below deck, “- gone missing last year alone! Crashed, or attacked by Kikakdo or just froze over. Da always said, ‘Smart ships don’t go South’. S’why we won’t take you past the Tail, even if the locals  _ would _ let us. Anyway, here you are! Need me to help you get that through the door, or you good?”

` Kai had been right, Asami mused, it seemed everyone aboard had grown fearful and quiet as they neared their destination. Spending less time outside, while the temperature plummeted, frost creeping across the ship's helm as it ventured further and further south.

Kai shivered as a strong gust of wind blew across the deck. He rubbed his palms vigorously on his legs to warm them, looking around warily.

“If you’re all done maybe we should go inside, Ms. Sato.”

She ignored him, continuing to stare out across the icy water, imagining she could see the coast of the Southern islands through the foggy dark. All too soon, she would be out there. It sent thrills of anticipation across her skin, she itched to arrive, to finally get the answers to her questions. All the same, she was worried. People didn’t go to the South for a reason, many had died in attempts before her. A small voice inside whispered that she was a fool to expect hers would be any different. 

“Asami?”

“I’ll stay out for another minute or so.” When he stared back reluctantly she tacked on. “Just want to be sure my stomach is settled.” 

She sent him a small smile that he returned as he stood, looking both relieved to escape the harrowing cold, and reluctant to abandon her.

“Ok, come find me when you’re done. We can play pai sho.” Kai called as he crossed through the heavy metal door that descended down into the belly of the ship.

Asami sighed and let her gaze linger on the horizon, she could barely see the rise of jagged mountain range in the distance. Her skin felt alive with anticipation. 

_ One year _ , she thought,  _ one year living among the most elusive culture that society has seen in 100 years. One year to learn everything I can about them. And if I survive, I get to go home and share it with the world. _

Turning back around after a few more moments she made her way to her cabin to sleep. She would need all the strength she could get.

  
  
  
  


Asami bit her lip to hold back a yelp as the dingy dropped into the sea, bobbing perilously.

“You alright there, Miss Sato?” Arik called to her as he readied the oars for their journey to land. Fighting down the nerves that raced up and down her spine, she sat straighter to reply.

“Yes, yes I’m fine.” Her fists unclenched, though her knuckles were still noticeably white when she folded them in her lap. He nodded, unconvinced, and began steering them towards the shore.

She glanced back upwards towards the ship, where the majority of the crew could be seen craning their necks over the side to watch her depart. None of them could believe she was actually following through. Even Kai, whose gleeful attitude had grown somber during her final hours aboard.

“You don’t have to do this you know,” He had said when she hugged him goodbye, voice muffled against her stomach, “You can still change your mind if you want too.” 

“You know I can’t.” She was surprised to find her own voice somewhat thick, she had really grown fond of the boy in the past weeks.

“I’ll be alright, it's an adventure, remember? And when you come back to get me in a year, I bet I’ll have some  _ really  _ great stories for you.”

He nodded, releasing her. Kai dragged his sleeve over his cheeks as he turned back to the crew and she pretended not to notice. She saw him now, waving at her furiously as he lent so far over the railing that the ship's Captain (a rather stern woman named Lin) had to catch the scruff of his shirt to keep him from tumbling overboard. She waved back at them, smiling and turned her eyes to her destination.

_ No going back now. _

Asami pulled her coat tighter around her body, icy spray from the sea making her shiver. Captain Beifong had anchored the ship about a mile and a half off the shore, unable to bring her any closer due to the number of icebergs that jutted haphazardly out of the water. So, loading her heavy trunk into the small boat, she and Arik set off towards land. 

Their breath came out in white gasps of steam, the boat paddles clinking softly against shards of thin glassy ice as they wove their way through the water. They did not speak, it was so still and quiet that it felt wrong to disturb it. There was a mystic to this place and Asami felt as though everything around them was holding its breath. They passed between tall walls of ice, sliding around the corner of a great glacier and out of view of the _ Flying Boar.  _

Asami gazed in wonder at the frozen landscape, the shore curved along a great bay and was blanketed in a thick layer of white. The ice seemed to stretch on and on for miles, and in the distance, mountains raked the sky, their peaks glowing in the morning sun. 

Destination now in sight, Arik set them at a faster pace towards land. Despite its beauty, there was something almost haunting about it, maybe it was the way the snow buffeted the sounds, maybe it was just the stories she had heard. Arik rowed faster. Asami wondered if he had sensed it too, if he was anxious to leave this place as quickly as possible.

Glancing along the empty shoreline, Asami felt as though a rock had dropped into her stomach.  _ Where were they?  _ She allowed herself a moment of panic as they reached the beach, running her mind frantically over all the ways in which this could have possibly gone wrong. Had she gotten the dates right? Were they still going to allow her to live among them? Was this a ploy? Would she be attacked the minute she stepped onto their land? Would she ever see her father again?

When the bottom of the boat scraped along the rocks Arik quickly jumped out. Asami hesitated for a moment before following him. Though the water was only shin deep, the cold was still a shock to her system, and by the time the two of them pulled the boat up onto land, Asami was shivering. Arik blew on his fingers to warm them as he glanced around, he had noticed their absence as well.

“I- Uhm, you sure this is right, Miss Sato?” 

“Oh, yes,” She said, waving him off, though bile started to rise into her throat, “The trunk, if you would Arik?” He nodded in valiant attempt to appear unworried, and clamoured back in to retrieve it. 

Asami scanned the beach, gusts of cold wind blew drifts of snow across the ground, small flurries dancing up into the air before sweeping back across the ice. The wind was picking up, and the more it blew the harder it became for them to see. Asami had begun to worry her lip beneath her teeth, when her eyes landed on them. Three figures stood a few hundred yards ahead in the snow, spears in hand, wearing thick furs trimmed with white, with their hoods drawn they blended almost seamlessly into the landscape.

Asami started as Arik dropped her trunk on the ground beside her.

“Miss, Sato?” He followed her line of sight and let out a noise of surprise when he realized what she was looking at. The men across the beach remained unmoving, stoic as they gazed back at them. Asami noticed their faces were painted white and grey, with sharp black lines sweeping from their jaws to their cheek bones. 

“They don’t look very friendly.” He said softly.  _ No, they don’t, _ She thought privately. Straightening up she stared back at the warriors who still had not made a move towards them.  _ Ah, right. _

“I think this is where you leave me, Arik.” She said finally, voice wavering only slightly. 

“Ma’am, I don’t know if-” She swiftly cut across him.

“It’s probably just ceremonial,” She said, voice high and unlike her own, “Thank you for your concern, but you’ve done what you were hired to do. Please give Captain Beifong my thanks.” 

Together, they pushed the small boat back into the water. Climbing back aboard Arik glanced back, hesitant. 

“You take care of yourself, Miss.” Asami sent him a smile that was more confident than she felt.

“I’ll see you next year.” Arik looked as though he very much doubted that, and reluctantly picked up the oars. Asami blinked back unexpected tears while he rowed away. Watching until the small craft slid out of sight and trying hard to feel as though this was a beginning and not an end. When she turned back she wasn't shocked to see that the three figures had drawn closer, now standing around her trunk and glaring at her from out beneath their hoods.  _ You can do this, Sato. _ Taking a deep breath, Asami stepped purposefully forward.

The tallest of the warriors, a man in his 30’s, stepped up to meet her, while the other two shifted their eyes to each other, identical expressions of disinterest. Asami opened her mouth, a rough greeting in Kikuik on her tongue when his eyes burned with sudden rage. Arm flashing out he punched her in the stomach. Asami’s breath left her in a whoosh and she keeled over. Another blow across her back sent her sprawling into the snow. 

She gasped in pain, and looked up to meet his murderous gaze before he brought his foot down onto her face, and she lost consciousness.


	2. Fuck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo so before you go into this underlined text is language Asami can't understand, italics is what she can. And plain text is her thoughts, the narration and when she speaks in english. That all make sense?  
> Also upon reflection I decided to rename the culture and language. Once I realized Jennawynn had made theirs up it felt wayy too much like stealing. That'll all unfold as Asami learns it.  
> Let me know your thoughts!

_“I won’t need that.” Asami said lightly, folding a shirt over her arm and leaning against her wardrobe to stare at her father with slight exacerbation._

_“Asami,” Hiroshi reiterated, still holding out the small box. “Take it.” She rolled her eyes and turned back to the contents of her closet, idly debating which were most practical for a long journey._

_“I’ve been taking chi blocking and self defense classes from the time I was 6.” She says, picking out a thick coat. “I am more than capable of taking care of myself.”_

_“Asami-”_

_“And besides,” She turns and brushes past her disgruntled father, laying them out on the bed near her other scattered possessions. Her trunk sat open and empty on the floor, waiting to be packed. “The university swore that no weapons would be brought to their village.”_

_“And you think they’ll abide by the same rules do you?” Hiroshi fumed, stepping up to the bed beside her. “You think they’ll just throw them all away the minute you dock on land?”_

_“No,” She says calmly, “But this mission is about building trust with the locals, Dad. The key to this is deescalation, which that-” She threw a dirty look at the object in the box, “Is the opposite of.”_

_“This-” Hiroshi said, pulling it out of its wrapping and placing it firmly into her hands, “-Is insurance.” Asami stared at the long silver pen in her fingers. It’s sleek metal surface was smooth but she knew a thin sharp razor blade lay beneath the cap. “This knife is protection. I read the contract. That agreement was in regard to firearms and you know it. You’ll need some kind of leverage in case things go wrong. I’m not going to let you go in there entirely unprepared.”_

_“I dont know…”_

_“Please,” He closed her fingers around it, and looked at her imploringly, “For me. No one will ever know you have it. Not unless you need it.”_

Asami could taste the blood in her mouth before she opened her eyes. She tried to wipe it away but her hands were bound tight behind her back, ankles and legs stuck out in front of her. Opening her eyes, she was met with darkness. A blindfold. The night was cool as it rushed past, the earth underneath rumbled as they were pulled along, she could feel a gentle mist on her face.

The sled carrying her across the ice moved quickly, hooves clomping as they smashed through the packed snow. A gentle murmuring filled the space around her, the language was sharp, their voices swept over Asami like a harsh wind. In spite of her pounding head she listened, hoping to discern some of the words. 

_“What do you plan to do upon our return, Father?”_

_“What I have promised to the Chief.”_

It was no use, she couldn’t understand. Her head was swimming. The unfamiliar sounds jumbled together and grated against her ears. She could do nothing but press her lips together firmly in an attempt not to vomit. 

_“Yes but what of Her? She made it clear the Sightless was to be brought in unharmed. If we were to be banished, mother would be most unpleased.”_

_“That little girl is under the delusion of control, I owe Her no allegiance. It was only ordered the Sightless be taken alive, and she is. Don’t worry, my children. I have everything under control.”_

The sled jolted suddenly and Asami groaned as her bruised body slammed against the side of something hard (Her trunk?). Asami held her breath when the voices stopped, and something shifted in front of her. 

_C’mon Sato, get a grip. You’ve got nowhere to go._

“Water..” She croaked finally, before quickly switching to Nakhalido. “ _Water, please_..”

A hand gripped her chin, guiding her mouth to the end of a waterskin. Asami drank greedily before a soft voice rang out from across the carriage.

“ _That’s enough_ **_._ ** **”** It was pulled away. Asami caught her breath, and waited. The night was filled with nothing but the gentle whoosh of their sled as it carved its way through the countryside. Her mind buzzed, what was going on? Why attack if they were not going to kill her? 

She licked her lips, **_“_** _Why.._ ” Another hard smack over the crown of her head sent her back into darkness.

_“Whoa,..” Kai whispers curiously from the floor of her cabin, “What's this?” He’s sat cross legged in front of her trunk fiddling with the tumblers on it’s closed lid._

_“Hmm?” Asami replied, distracted, blinking up from the book she had been reading. “Oh, that?” She laughed, and leaned back into the pillows on her bed. The cabin swayed as the Beifong bobbed gently on the waves. Kai looked back at her with intrigue. She shrugged._

_“My Dad's idea. Said I should be wary of thieves where I’m going.” Kai smirked, refocusing his attention to the intricate lock._

_“You should.”_

_Asami rolled her eyes and gestured sarcastically to the great trunk. “Well that’s the finest security suitcase money could buy. You need the code to open it, and a key. Which I’ve got the only copy of.” She reached into her shirt to pull out the long silver chain, a small brass key clipped to the end. “Doubly secure.” She snorted, shaking her head and turning back to the pages._

_“Hmm,” Kai eyed the suitcase sceptically, “Bet I can crack it.” He muttered, fingers already twiddling with the rotating pin._

_“Go ahead.” Asami waved an unconcerned hand in his direction, “Just don’t break it.”_

_“Deal.”_

Next thing she knew, she was being moved. The sudden handling jarred her awake, but she was still in and out of consciousness. Gusts of snow blew up under her jacket collar. Her hands were bound behind her head, elbows jutting out into the air. Asami’s head pounded painfully. Blindfold keeping her dizzy and confused. Her vision swam with dark red spots against the black. 

A hand gripped the back of her neck. Steering her forward until she stumbled and fell onto the icy, uneven ground. She felt sick, and was somewhat grateful the gag between her teeth kept it at bay. She was pulled roughly to her feet.

A gruff command and Asami felt a hand on her head, pushing her down through a low doorway. Soft material brushing her shoulders as she passed. The sudden blast of heat made her cheeks sting. The atmosphere was warm, dozens of voices chattering happily from all directions, chairs and cups clattered as people ate. But the joyful tone darkened as her captor loudly cleared his throat.

“ _Chief,”_ Asami was pushed forward and all the laughter died.“ _I have brought the_ _Sightless,”_ A hard kick to the back of her knees sends her to the floor, rope bites into her wrists. Cruel hands hold her steady as she jerks back on instinct, “ _As requested.”_

The room had fallen deadly silent around them. Asami digs her teeth into the fabric. A deep and rumbling voice finally breaks it.

“ _What have you done?”_ A yank of the binds on her wrists and her head is thrown back. She huffs.

“ _Only what was requested of me.”_ Asami jerks aways from the silky voice sneering by her ear. _He smells like blood._ She thinks desperately. _“You ordered me to escort this creature through my lands to you_ ** _._** _And I have. Did you expect me to not take precautions?”_ Hands tighten, Asami whimpers.

“ _Let her go.”_ A soft, strong voice commands. 

“ _As you wish.”_ His grip releases, and she careens forward without her hands to catch her fall. She hears a crack as her nose smashes into the ground. Her jaw rattles from the force. She feels the blood pouring hot and thick into her mouth and she bites back the urge to moan in pain. There’s a smattering of gasps and laughter but it quickly fades.

 **_“_ ** _Take her_ **_.”_ ** There are hands suddenly, pulling at her arms and clothes. She yelps at the unexpected treatment and flinches away. They grasp tighter and force her to rise, guiding her back. As she goes she hears a deep and angry voice.

“ _Unalaq-”_ It’s a dangerous whisper, the rising argument cuts off as she is pulled back into the cold night. But when Asami shivers it's from terror. They drag her along for a few hurried minutes before entering another pocket of warmth.

She is seated abruptly on a bed and the bindings around her wrists release. Asami rockets back until she can press herself against the wall, ripping the gag from her mouth to cry out “ _Don’t touch!”_

Her hands fly to her face and pull off the blindfold. 

She gasps, blinking, and pulls her legs in to guard her torso. There are two men looming over her, their eyes glinting softly in the low light. One takes a step towards her, a knife dangling from his hand and she flattens further against the wall.

“ _Away”_ She growls shakily. Her nakhalvido is stilted. She raises her hands so there is no chance at misunderstanding. The man jolts upright, a flush rising on his cheeks. He drops the knife suddenly and waves his hands as he begins to stammer. It’s fast, and takes Asami a second to recognize it's just the same word mashed together over and over.

“ _Nononononononononononono!”_ His hands fly to his hair and pull at it. “ _Sorry! Mako we scared her! You’re scared aren’t you? Oh no this is bad, this is very very bad!”_

_“Bo, calm down.”_

_“You’re right you’re right_ ” The shorter one drew his hands up and breathed deeply as if to calm himself. A second later until he clasped them back into his hair again _“_ _Oh but I just can’t Korra is gonna be sooooooooo-”_

Asami tuned out the unintelligible stammering. Her heart beat frantically in her chest, adrenaline pumping through her veins.. Logically, she could see these two were nowhere near as aggressive as the others, but she didn’t trust them for a second. Her father was right. She had been gullible. Naive. And she didn’t want to die. She would not make the same mistake twice. 

Her eyes darted to the side of the bed, a small candle flickered on a table nearby. Within arms reach. Her fingers flex. She looks back to the two, and see’s the taller one's golden eyes widen.

“ _Wait, don’t-”_ She dives to the side, and grabs it. The wax is half melted and burns into her skin. She gasps back tears of pain and digs her fingers in for a better grip. The tall one makes a move to grab her wrist, but she twists away and slams the candle-head into his arm. He groans and recoils from the burning wax as she advances. Asami jabs him several times in the ribs, and knocks the heel of her palm into his throat. He gulps for air and falls to his knees. 

She turns to the other, his hands still clenched tightly in his hair. He stares with wide eyes as she punches him in the nose.

Then she bolts.

It’s absolutely freezing. She spins around wildly, eyes scanning. The village is vast, rows of igloos sprawl out far into the darkness.

In the distance she spies mountains. The same three jagged peaks, only much closer, at a different angle than she first saw them. She can tell at a glance, she is far, far away from where she had been dropped off. It would take days of travel by foot, and she would absolutely die of exposure long before she reached it. Let alone for a year until the _Beifong_ returned.

 _Running is not an option_ , Asami bit her lip, brain whirling at a mile a minute. She can’t escape but she can’t stay here. At least not like this. She needs _something_ to give her an edge. And she needs to move quickly. 

Asami slinks her way through the camp, ducking from shadow to shadow. The wind forces an unrelenting chill through her body, and she bites her lip until it bleeds. She swears her blood freezes as it touches the frigid air. Teeth chattering, she glances back up at the mountains. Her cracked nose throbs in pain.

She has to _move._

Shadows pass the next row over. A group of warriors clutch flaming torches, silhouettes flickering in the soft glow. They call to each other in quiet voices. Asami can only discern a few scattered words.

“ _-quickly-”_

_“-search all-”_

_“-Outsider-”_

_“-Find Her-”_

It’s the same language her captors had been speaking, and it’s not nakhalvido. The locals must have their own dialect. She can’t understand it.

But a man shouts out, followed by barking dogs and that paints a clear enough picture. She pulls her hood down and continues forward. The snow is slightly above ankle deep, and despite her best efforts, every step seems to fall on a sneaky patch of ice. She stumbles silently as she can, keeping close to the structures. She is _not_ lost, she just has to find her way back to the sleigh. Back to her trunk, and the knife stored within it. She takes endless turns, making sure to keep away from the occasional glow of distant torches..

She peered around a corner and, finally, caught sight of the sleigh. Discernible due to her ornate trunk positioned prominently in the back. It was parked in an empty courtyard. The distant bobbing lights made her suspect all warriors had been called to search for her. 

She puffed out a breath, and jogged over to it. The sleigh was much larger than she had originally thought. Its sides were high and smooth, she couldn’t tell what material it was made of in the dark, but it’s tracks curved at an odd angle she wondered if-

_Focus!_

Her arms shook slightly as she pulled herself into the back. She blew a strand of air out of her face, and knelt in front of her trunk. Frost had crept over the hinges and set into the dark wood. She wiped it away with her gloves and clumsily plugged in the code. Her hand flew to her neck, but the chain holding the key was gone. _Damn._ Asami pulled her gloves off with her teeth and took a pin out of her hair. Kai’s teasing voice echoed clearly in her mind. 

_You could probably just pick it if you knew the code._

With trembling fingers she bent it into shape, and set to work. It’s hard to understate how _absolutely_ fucking _cold_ she was. Her body racked with tremors uncontrollably, her teeth clacking together. She stopped feeling her fingers minutes ago. When she glanced down to check they were dark red. She bit her lip and continued to fumble her way past the locking mechanisms of her _own goddamn suitcase_. 

She had _known_ it was a bad idea. 

“Stupid.” She muttered, twisting the pin in further until a satisfying click ran across her fingers, its noise indiscernible in the howling wind. “ _Oh, thank fuck.”_ She fumbles through the assorted items until her fingers clasp around the long thin penknife tucked into the lining. She breathes a sigh of relief. Her father had been right, it wasn’t much, but it was some kind of protection. And for a girl trapped in the middle of nowhere it felt like everything. She sits back for a moment, letting the cold drifts of snow blast over her as she considers her next move. 

“ _Hello, child.”_ Asami squealed and jumped at the voice, turning around sharply. Silver pen gripped unsteadily, and undrawn in her hand. She sees an old woman hunched and smiling up at her from beside the sleigh. She speaks with a low slow accent, confident and calm. “ _Nice night for escape, yes?”_

“Uhm…” Asami flushes, and grips the pen closer to her chest. This woman is at least 70 years old. Asami has a weapon and the upper ground but she finds herself totally caught off guard. 

“ _But, cold. Come with me”_ She motioned vaguely behind her and began to tottle off, “ _Warm. Safe.”_ Asami stayed frozen for a moment until she turned impatiently back over her shoulder and beckoned again. What did she have to lose? She stood shakily, penknife tight in her grip, and started after the old woman into the dark.


	3. And So It Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wish I could say I'll keep a schedule, but until my other story is done I'm just getting these chapters out when I can. Hopefully it'll normalize a bit, this last month has just been insane.   
> Enjoy!

Chapter 3

She hadn’t lied. Asami followed her hesitantly to the end of a row of igloos and slipped past the thick leather furs at its entrance. Warmth slapped her in her face. Though sudden, and aside from the angry pricking in her frozen fingers, it was a welcome change. 

Asami shivered, rubbing down her arms vigorously as she looked around. The outside walls had been packed with snow but she could see inside it was supported by a combination of stone slabs, and whale bones. Various pelts were spread out over the walls and floor, a large stone table in the center of the room was covered in small tools, bowls and bits of food. The old woman made herself busy at a small fire burning in the corner. Humming as she ladled some soup into two small clay bowls.

Asami stood unsurely by the entrance, tucking the penknife safely into her boots and blowing on her hands. She wasn't sure what was expected of her and didn’t want to offend her host. But the woman just smiled gently at Asami and set them down on the table.

“ _ Come sit.” _ The old woman beckoned again, shakily lowering herself down onto the bench. Asami hesitated ( _ Was this a trap?)  _ before shaking her head in self admonishment. She grinned nervously as she took the seat across from the woman. 

Asami stared into the offered bowl curiously, tilting it around to get a better idea of its contents. Chunks of dark fatty meat floated in a creamy broth. It was white, darted with small black flecks. Asami leaned forward and drew in some of the intoxicating aromas. She had no idea the last time she had eaten. She’d been too nervous for dinner the night before her arrival and she had no idea how long she had been unconscious for. Her stomach growled loudly.

She smiled sheepishly at her companion, whose eyes crinkled at the corners. The older woman brought the bowl to her lips and tipped it back, using her fingers to draw in the bits of meat. She smiled encouragingly as Asami copied her. The soup was rich and creamy, the simple spices were unfamiliar, and her entire body warmed with each mouthful. Asami inhaled it greedily.

The fire crackled merrily beside them as they ate, and Asami wracked her bruised and battered brain for the way to properly signify her thanks. She swallowed and straightened. “ _ I- I am respecting this. Grateful of-” _

_ “You’re welcome.” _ She blushed, setting her bowl down and tracing her fingers along its imperfections.

“ _ You talk Nakhalvido. Very well.”  _

_ “Yes.” _

_ “Others don’t?” _

_ “Very few. It is lost.”  _ The woman smiled slightly and looked into her bowl, “ _ My husband taught me to speak it.” _ Asami’s fingers itched, desperate for the notebook she knew was nestled among her other belongings. She settled for tipping more soup back into her mouth. “ _ Husband?” _

_ “Gone.” _

_ “I am sorry.”  _ The old woman smiled and patted her hand gently, she said a quick few words in the local tongue. It sounded like a prayer. Asami tilted her head curiously. 

“ _ What does it mean?” _

“ _ And the cycle goes on” _ She drank deeply from her bowl, mind racing as some of the heat began to creep back into her fingers.

_ "Set the meeting?" _ The woman shook her head.

_ "Not me. The  _ _ Avatar  _ _ arranged for your arrival." _

_ “Avaih- Ahvai-”  _

_“_ _Avatar”_ She corrected patiently.

_ “Avatar.”  _ Asami tested the words, _ “What is the Avatar?” _ The old woman laughed out an answer, she thought it sounded like “ _ peikeke” _ but that meant “stubborn.” She must have misheard.

“ _ Sorry-” _

_“ Mom? Are you okay?”_ A sharp feminine voice calls from beyond the entrance. “ _The sightless has gone missing and everyone is on high-”_ A slender woman in her upper forties burst into the tent. When she sets eyes on the table her booming voice fades to a whisper _“ -Alert…”_ Asami nervously shifts in her seat but her companion seems unperturbed.

“ _Hello, Kya.”_ She takes a long sip from her bowl, eyes shifting lazily towards the door.  “ _ How are you this evening?” _

_“Mom! ”_ The old woman winks at Asami and she finds herself biting back a grin despite the tense atmosphere.

“ _ Not so well, I take it.” _

_ “You stole her? _ _ “ _ The middle aged woman had her hands on her hips, staring in disbelief. _ “ _ _ What the hell do you think you're doing?” _ __

_ “I am just providing a nice young woman with my hospitality. Is there anything wrong with that?” _ __

**_“_ ** _ You CAN't just take a royal advisor from their tent without asking and host them for tea! Korra and Tonraq are going insane!” _ She bent forward at her waist, arms shooting up from her sides. _ “ _ _ What were you thinking?” _

" _ I was thinking that our friend was feeling unnerved and it was only right to put her at ease. Go and reassure the Chief that she is in good hands. But before you do take a look at her nose. She is in quite a bit of pain and these old hands aren't what they used to be.” _ The old woman turned then to Asami, who straightened and sheepishly attempted to act as though she hadn’t been watching their interaction with rapt attention.

_ “My daughter,”  _ She informed her, waving a single hand in the silver haired woman's direction, “ _ Kya. She will fix your nose now, alright?” _ Asami thought Kya looked less than thrilled by the prospect, but it brought her attention back to the crusted blood caked over the lower half of her face and the low throbbing pain in her jaw. So she turned hesitantly to the side.

Kya advanced, grabbing her chin forcefully as she peered down at her injury. 

_ “ Break is clean,” _ She muttered, turning her jaw to the right, running her fingers gently over the bridge of her nose. Asami sucked in a pained gasp at the prodding but did not pull away, allowing herself to be examined.  _ This mission is about trust.  _ Her own past words playing like a loop. _ Don’t freak out, don’t freak out, don’t freak out. _ Kya placed both thumbs on the side of her nose and met her eyes. She muttered something to her mother, and Asami glanced over, frightened. “ _ She says get ready.” _ Asami’s gaze flicked back to Kya.

“ _ Hurt a lot. Isn’t it?” _ She asked, tone wavering. Kya looked grimly back at her. Asami screwed her eyes shut and nodded. 

Kya pushed. A loud pop filled the igloo.

“Shit!”

  
  
  


_ “Come now dear, another bite.” _ Katara coaxed gently, “ _ You need your strength.” _

Asami numbly swallowed another spoonful, her knee bouncing relentlessly beneath the table. After setting her nose Kya had departed in a rush, muttering angrily under her breath as she went off in search of the Chief. 

A blast of icy wind slapped against the thick leather, and with it brought the faint echo of angry words. Asami stiffened as voices floated in from outside.

“- _ Assaulted two of your own men!” _

_ “That’s enough, Unalaq.” _

“ _ Do not be frightened,” _ Asami started when Katara placed a withered hand over her own and squeezed. The crinkles around her eyes deepened. “ _ The Chief is fair, and you are his guest. Justice will be upheld.”  _ The voices grew louder, tone ringing with clear discontent and Asami found herself doubting her words.

_ “How can you stand for this- this savage to mingle among our own.” _

“ _ Hold your tongue.”  _

A calm deep voice cut across the two arguing men.

“ _ This discussion would be best to be tabled for another time. What’s done is done. There is little more to be gained from arguing tonight.” _

“ _Perhaps your right Tenzin.”_ The silky voice that followed made the hair on Asami’s arms stand up. Her captor sounded just as cold and vicious as he had on the ride in. _“I’ve seen just about all I can stomach today.”_ Ice crunched loudly under his retreating steps, Asami felt herself shiver in the quiet that followed. The hand on her shoulder tightened slightly, drawing her attention back to Katara, who held out a small dampened rag to her.

“ _ For your face.” _ She said simply. Asami nodded, taking it from her and bringing it to her nose, wincing slightly at the tender throb of pain it induced. As she did, the furs at the entrance shifted, and two towering figures ducked inside. The first was slightly shorter, broad shouldered, and adorned in thick furs that had been dyed a deep blue. His dark hair tied back into a long ponytail, and around his neck he wore a necklace of what appeared to be whalebones. His face was gaunt, and troubled as he looked her over.

The other was leaner, bearded and though the overall structure of his clothes were the same, strips of burnt orange fabric lined the cuffs of his sleeves. Tattooed across his gleaming bald head was an arrow that pointed down to his nose. She would have thought this man to be the Chief, but as she studied them it was clear he showed the first man deference, and respect, looking to him for permission before stepping forward to meet her.

Asami met his eyes head on, trying her best not to shift nervously under their scrutinizing glares..

“ _ Asamisato of Republicity,”  _ Though his voice rumbled confidently through the room, they wrapped around the unfamiliar sounds clunkily. “ _ On behalf of all Sukselle, I offer you my apologies for today's regrettable actions.” _ He inclined his head, eyes downcast. “ _ It should never have occurred.” _

“Oh,” Asami was slightly stunned by his candor, however stilted. “ _ Um, thank you. It’s-I mean”  _ She stopped, what was she supposed to say, that it was fine? She cleared her throat. “ _ Thank you.” _ The man nodded, bringing a fist to his chest, placed right over his heart.

“ _ My name is Tenzin. I have the honor of translating for the great Chief of Tansukka,”  _ He inclined his head back towards the other man, still stood stiffly beside him, arms crossed and glaring at Asami with deep mistrust. “ _ Tonraq.” _

Unsure of the etiquette, Asami opted to play it safe and mimic his greeting. Placing a balled fist over her own heart and casting her eyes down. “ _ It is good to have met you both.” _

Tenzin raised an eyebrow, mildly impressed, and quickly rattled off a translation. Tonraq remained unmoved, his lips pressed together and he grunted lowly in response. Tenzin sighed imperceptibly.

“ _ He says he is honored to have you as his guest, and extends his apology as well.” _ Asami raised an eyebrow at the clear lie. Her cheeks flushed when Tonraq's steely gaze darkened further. She slid her eyes to Katara for a hint at what she had done wrong. But the older woman had her eyes set on Tenzin, a wry smile on her face as she observed his rigid formal stance. 

“ _ Couldn’t this wait until the morning, dear? The poor thing has had an eventful enough day without throwing an interrogation on top of it all.” _

“ _ Mother, please. There are traditions to be followed and-” _

“ _ Reparations to be made.”  _ __ Chief Tonraq’s cut across their exchange lowly, eyes never leaving Asami. _ “ _ _ She attacked two men, the village will be demanding justice.” _

_“Of course,”_ Katara continued, humor heavy in her tone, “ _But surely such justice can still be upheld in the light of day-"_ Asami started as once again the furs shifted, Kya striding purposefully up to Tenzin, leaning to quickly murmur in his ear. He pinched his brow exasperation. The three began conversing rapidly, heads bent, sending her wary glances. 

“ _ -Demanding-” _

_ “-threatening to come see for herself if we don’t-” _

“ _ -Won’t be held off for much longer.” _

Asami cocked her head, looking to Katara for answers. The older woman patted her hand, shakily standing.

“ _ Seems we are not the only ones causing a fuss this evening,” _ Tonraq scowled deeply, “ _ Go and see your daughter, Chief. Kya will keep an eye on our friend here until the morning.” _ Kya reeled back, affronted.

_ “ _ _ Me? Why do I have to-” _ A withering stare from her mother quieted her instantly.  _ “I mean, right. Of course I will.” _

Tonraq huffed, wheels turning behind his eyes. He held Asami in his glare for another few moments, sighing as he gave a gruff nod, mumbling something quietly to Tenzin as he lumbered outside, muttering under his breath as he went.

“ _ I should go as well, doubtful he will require assistance.” _ Tenzin droned, dropping down to place a quick kiss on Kataras cheek. She smiled at him fondly.

“ _Be patient with her. She’s stubborn, that one.”_ Kya mocked. He scowled at her, before schooling his expression back into one of formal nonchalance as he turned to Asami (whose skull was pounding with more fervor by the second) and bowing his head.

“ _ Urgent business calls us away, I will return in the morning. Kya will see you to your room.” _

“ _ Right, thank you. I look-” _ But he had already swept from the igloo, following Tonraqs speedy pace into the snow. “ _ Forward to it.” _ She finished lamely. Kya snorted to her left, and Katara quickly swatted her on the arm.

“ _ Right, come on then Sightless,” _ She said, rubbing her shoulder and gesturing exaggeratedly to the door, “ _ Let’s get you to bed.” _ Asami stood quickly, ignoring the low ache of pain in her muscles as she started to follow. Katara’s withered hand grabbed her elbow as she passed.

“ _ You must be strong now. They may fear you, but there are many here who wish to learn, if you are brave enough.”  _ She smiled gently, and Asami’s headache deepened. 

“ _ I am not frightened easy.”  _ She bowed her head to the kind older woman, “ _ Thank you, for everything.”  _

She followed an impatient Kya out of the igloo and back into the blistering cold. The hut she was to stay in was thankfully only a short trip away, closer to the center of the village. Though Kya did not speak the language, she made her mind clear through gestures and pointing as she set Asami up a crude place to sleep.

_ “This will do for now,” _ She muttered to herself as she bustled around laying out thick furs and blankets across the floor near a roaring fire.  _ “At least until they decide what to do with you.” _

The adrenaline from the day's events was finally slipping away, and Asami couldn’t find the strength to remain conscious. Wrapped in a warm pelt, she drifted away to the sound of Kya’s foreign grumbles as the woman prodded moodily at the fire.


	4. Unpacked

Despite her overwhelming exhaustion, Asami’s rest was far from peaceful. The cloying pull of sleep not enough to quiet frequent jolts of panic throughout the night. They startled her to a state of semi consciousness, where she could still feel her captor tightly gripping the back of her neck, still taste the blood in her mouth. 

She curled on her side, shaking, knuckle caught in her teeth to quiet her fearful murmurs. 

_ I am so  _ **_so_ ** _ far from home. _

Kya’s cabin was dark, fire casting long shadows across her form. Only a small portion of the room bathed in it’s soft orange glow. She took deep shuddering breaths, peering with groggy eyes to the small cot tucked against a far wall. Studying the steady rise and fall of the woman's chest, and the spear leaned casually near her hand. It’s white tip glinted sharply at her through the darkness. Asami shuddered, letting her fingers drift down to trace the outline of the knife tucked into her boots.

_ It’s still there. She’s fine. I’m fine. We’re all good _ .

Eventually her heart rate slowed enough so she could roll over and try to fall back asleep.

A few hours later, a mouthwatering smell roused her the final time. She stayed still on the ground a minute, green eyes squeezed shut, listening intently. Kya made no attempt to quiet herself, shuffling footfalls allowing Asami to track her movements. The hut was quiet, except for the fire crackling jovially in the corner and the faint howling of wind as it blew powerfully over the roof. 

Asami cracked an eye open, observing the older woman's back, still turned from her. Kya hummed softly to herself, bent at the waist, tending to a pan of sizzling meat. The intoxicating aroma filled the room, Asami bit her lip as her stomach groaned meekly.

“ _ I know you’re awake” _ She stiffened, briefly debating whether or not to try and feign sleep when Kya straightened unconcernedly, and turned around. 

The gray haired woman pursed her lips, squinting down at Asami’s sheepish form with a hand on her hip. In the other she held a long pronged fork, a fat dripping sausage speared onto its end. She could see the fat still sizzling from where it was impaled.

Her stomach chose that moment to make its presence known, erupting into clearly audible grumbles. Kya quirked an eyebrow at the sound. Asami flushed, pushing herself to her feet, furs still clutched around her shoulders. She bowed her head, an overly formal gesture that sent waves of long tangled curls into her face and mouth. She spit them out with as much dignity as she could muster, Kya’s bemused look deepened.

“ _ Apologies.” _ She muttered, running a hand through her hair in embarrassment. Asami wracked her brain to remember everything she and her colleagues had theorized about the Tribes potential customs. The University record only had a handful of biased, shoddily recorded interactions throughout history to go on. If they were to be believed, almost all had ended, well... poorly might be an understatement. Over time, the more dramatic details had been written off as exaggerations, but with how things had been going so far, Asami was far less confident in that conclusion than when she’d embarked.

Asami straightened her shoulders, ignoring the sweat beginning to bead at her brow. Kya observed, her expression carefully blank. A few tense seconds passed between them before she turned the fork around, holding it out to Asami with a slight smirk.

_ “Eat, Sightless.” _ Her eyes gleamed with teasing light, “ _ It’s gonna be a long day for you.” _

Asami accepted the offered food eagerly, about to devour it when Tenzin ducked through the enterance, brushing away some frost that clung to his beard. 

“ _ Asamisato,”  _ He greeted cordially, fist over heart, she quickly returned it, hunger all but forgotten. “ _ The Chief will see you now.” _

Asami shivered as they stepped out of the relative warmth of Kya’s hut, crisp morning air chasing away her last traces of sleep. Though the sky was bright, snow drifted lazily down to land lightly on her shoulders. She immediately wrapped her arms around her torso to conserve what warmth she had left. Tenzin smiled at her gently, gesturing down a row of igloos that led further into the village. “ _ Come.” _

In the light, Asami could see that the village spread out much farther than she had imagined. Several dozen crude buildings clustered into imperfect rows, spiraling out from a center compound, which was easily three times the size of the rest. Mixed among them were what looked to be less permanent dwellings, hastily assembled on the outskirts, or plopped down wherever there was extra space. Blocks of snow and ice had been stacked around the perimeter of the village, a perfunctory wall designed to keep out unwanted wildlife. A handful of arctic camels snoozed from their place tied up near the entrance.

The sun had barely risen, half hidden on a pink horizon. About a couple dozen villagers were awake so far. They stared unabashedly as Asami and Tenzin trudged along, curiosity burning in their eyes. She smiled tentatively at the few she passed, but the majority turned away, lips curling. Their whispers carried on the air, “ _ Tidak Kelihatan.” _ She vaguely recognized the word but from the way the people hissed it at her, she was sure it didn’t mean anything good. Asami flushed, stomach churning with unease, and hurried after Tenzin's long strides.

As they approached the center compound, she felt the beginnings of panic edging in at her mind. She stopped him just before they entered. 

_ “Tenzin...” _

_ “Yes?” _

_ “I-” _ Her mouth felt like it was full of sand, she twisted her fingers together beneath thick mittens. “ _ What do I  _ **_do?_ ** _ ” _

He regarded her with gentle curiosity and even though he didn’t smile there was a look in his eye that Asami recognized. She had seen it in her fathers face many times before. 

“ _ Be calm."  _ He brought a hand to her shoulder, and squeezed twice. “ _ I will translate. It will be alright.” _ She nodded, lip drawn between her teeth, ignoring the sting at the corner of her eyes.  _ Get it together, Sato. You're tougher than this. _

Tenzin waited another few seconds while she gathered herself, before guiding her inside.

Inside was a large circular room, set up like a communal space. Benches had been arranged for seating near the walls, furs and rugs filling the space between them and the great roaring fire at the center. Near the back was a raised platform, where Tonraq stood, conversing quietly with a young dark haired man. 

They turned as she and Tenzin approached, eyes narrowing simultaneously. Asami winced, immediately recognizing the second figure as one she had attacked during her escape the night before.

“ _ Tenzin, _ ” The chief greeted gruffly,  _ ”Good. We were just discussing this predicament.”  _

_ “ _ _ Oh?” _

_ “ _ _ Mako has just informed me this all may be a misunderstanding.” _ Tonraqs tone was serious but his eyes flashed like he was sharing a joke.

_ “Really,” _ Tenzin drawled, amused, “ _ If I recall from last night, with all the demands for action, yours was one of the loudest voices in favor.” _ The man clenched his jaw, golden eyes flashing with something hard before he schooled his expression.

“ _ Yes, but upon” _ He rolled his shoulder like it was twinged, _ “-reflection, Bo and I believe she was defending herself." _ He looked straight ahead, chewing his words like they were made of rubber,  _“We… might have been a bit rougher than necessary.”_ __

“ _ Ah,” _ Tenzin's eyes twinkled, “ _ Well, that certainly does make sense. Especially considering the way she was brought in. And Bolin agrees?” _

He grit teeth, nodding. Tonraq smirked, jerking his head towards Asami, who straightened at her first acknowledgment of the interaction, “ _ What does she say?” _ She flicked her eyes curiously to Tenzin.

“ _ He asks why you attacked. Were you afraid?” _

“ _ Oh, um,” _ She flicked her eyes to the guy, who despite having an obvious warrior's build was not altogether frightening. He’d gone down pretty easily, and she’d known he would. She was afraid at the time, yes, but the violence on her part was largely motivated by her desire to get back to her only weapon. Something he didn’t even have at the time. “ _ When other had knife, a bit” _

“ _ She says they held a knife on her.” _ Tonraq lifted an eyebrow questioningly at him, he sighed, closing his eyes and speaking like he was reciting a tired lecture. 

“ _ It was to untie her, but I guess we could have lowered it faster.”  _

Tonraq hummed, looking meaningfully to a doorway leading deeper into the compound, a small smile playing at his lips. “ _ I see.” _ His eyes drifted back to Tenzin. “ _ I’m fine with it if you are. My brother and his men left at dawn so they shouldn’t be an issue for the time being.” _ Tenzin nodded, seemingly satisfied and turned back to Asami.

“ _ Mako takes full responsibility for events. The Chief begs your forgiveness for this terrible misunderstanding.” _

_ “Of course!” _ Relief pounded in her ears.

“ _ Thank you, Mako. You can get back now.” _ The dark haired guy nodded and turned to leave. 

“ _ Wait, Mako.”  _ He froze at his name, back to her. “ _ Can you say I’m sorry for hurting him?” _ Tenzin nodded, mouth twitching, and rattled off a translation. Mako's shoulders stiffened as he listened. He muttered quietly, slouching from the room, one hand rubbing a deep purple bruise on his shoulder. “ _ He says it’s ok.” _

Asami watched him go, and found herself wondering where he got it from. She didn’t remember punching him there.

Tonraq chest rumbled with amusement, rolling his great shoulders as he turned back to the two. “ _ I should talk with her about this, shouldn’t I?” _

_“If you feel the need. But I have doubts it will make much of an impact.”_ The chief heaved a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck absentmindedly. 

“ _ I can try at least. Spirits know that girl needs to learn when using her influence does more harm than good. Tensions are high enough as is.” _ Tenzin hummed in agreement, the two men clasped arms (A gesture of comradery that Asami reminded herself to note down later) and the Chief lumbered back outside, giving Asami one more unsure look as he went. “ _ And get the Sightless set up, the feast won’t start until later anyway.” _

She felt her shoulders relax once he left. Though the Tonraq didn't seem particularly cruel, he was far more intimidating than Tenzin.

“ _ Come. We have a room ready for you.” _

Tenzin guided her to a small bedroom tucked near the center of the compound. Asami noted briefly how it was at a dead end, with rooms to either side. There would be no repeat performance of her escape. So in essence, it was like a holding cell, albeit a cozy one.

Arcticseal and Tigershark furs were piled generously onto her sleeping pallet. A water jug and flickering candle on the floor beside it. Thick rugs blanketed the ground all the way up to the skins draped across the doorway for privacy. Her trunk had been placed in the center of the room, it’s lid askew. 

She thanked Tenzin for his hospitality, and he left with a reminder that he would be back later in the evening to take her to the village's welcoming feast. Once he was gone exhaustion crept back into her body. She wanted nothing more than to crawl under the blankets and regain some sleep, but a trickle of adrenaline would not allow her to do so. At least not until she had recorded all that had happened since her arrival. 

Sighing, she removed her thick coat, (it was surprisingly warm in her room, she would have to ask Tenzin about their system for heating at dinner) and knelt before her trunk to retrieve her notebook.

The contents were in disarray, clothes shaken out, books left open with bent pages and newly cracked spines. It had obviously been searched. Asami pushed down the instinct to feel violated. She had expected them to search her for weapons, and besides, she thought smugly, she’d gotten to it before they had a chance too.

_ Sato: 1 Sukselle: 0 _

Asami chuckled tiredly at her own joke, and set about restructuring the messy interior of her trunk. She was midway through smoothing out the pages of an encyclopedia when the sound of shifting fabrics made her freeze. Her breath caught in her throat. 

There was someone at her door. 

They slid quietly into the room as though they were trying not to get caught. Panicked thoughts about the other tribesmen coming to finish her off flashed through her mind. Her hand crept down to her boot, surreptitiously as she could, wrapping shakily around the handle. She steadied her breathing, ready to defend herself, and turned.

Seated, cross-legged behind her was a pretty girl about her age. She beamed at Asami, a smile so wide it cracked her face in two.

_ “Ashamysato ov republiicity” _ The girl rushed out, leaning closer until they were nose to nose. Her bright blue eyes bursting with wonder.  _ “Welcome to Tuksella.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments motivate me like nothing else.


End file.
